


You are my Soulmate(s)

by aurawinterrain



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A dash of konoha, Akaashi Keiji Needs a Hug, Akaashi is jealous, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bokuto Koutarou Being Bokuto Koutarou, Fluff and Angst, Konoha best boy, Kuroo Tetsurou Being an Idiot, Kuroo is suffering, M/M, Minor Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Proposals, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurawinterrain/pseuds/aurawinterrain
Summary: Bokuto and Akaashi never believed in soulmates, they were always going to be together - or at least that was what they thought. In a world where everyone had a 'soulmate', most people waited till they were 18, before they knew the name of their 'fated one'. The idea that the person they were supposed to spend their entire life with was decided for them by fate, by destiny, always made Akaashi feel uncomfortable. So when he realised that he had fallen for Bokuto, he prayed to all the gods out there that they were soulmates - they had to be. Everyone could see the chemistry between the pair. So why, why did Bokuto's soulmate have to be his best friend on earth, Kuroo Tetsurou?In which Akaashi is insecure, Bokuto is being an idiot, and Kuroo is, well, Kuroo.p.s. yes I stole the line from vmin's song I'm so sorry I just thought it was fitting
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 5
Kudos: 102
Collections: HQ Rarepair Bang 2020





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh I really tried my best with this fic, and it's one of my favourite AU ever - Soulmate AU. this idea popped out of my head out of nowhere and I'm making this a multichaptered fic :'> This ship is something I've never written for before and I hope I managed to capture their dynamics :< However, do check out the amazing and wonderful artists who drew this amazing artwork to pair with the fic! Check them out [here~](https://www.instagram.com/stratus.nebulosus/)

The clock hands slowly moved towards midnight. Keiji felt like he couldn’t breathe, staring at Koutarou’s arm intently.  _ It didn’t matter.  _ He told himself, but yet he was still oddly nervous.  _ Bokuto-san will still love me, even if my name isn’t there.  _ He felt dread pool at the bottom of his stomach as the seconds towards midnight decreased. He felt Koutarou’s hand reach around him and cover his eyes, which made him jump in surprise. “I’ll be the first one to see it,” his boyfriend said, voice laden with sleep. 

The clock beeped, signalling that it was midnight. There was a soft exhale of air and Keiji felt his voice tremble when he asked who it was. Silence. “It’s not me, is it?” He tried to rip his hand away, but Koutarou tightened his grip. “I never believed in soulmates anyway. Let’s go to bed.” And with that sentence, Keiji felt like he had his entire world snatched away. 

Since that night, nothing really changed between them. They still ate lunch together, still practised together, still locked up the gym together and still slept together. The only thing that was different was the fact that Bokuto was trying so desperately to hide his left arm from Keiji, it made his heart hurt. “You could at least tell me who it is, you know. It’s not like knowing the name would kill me.” he tried to coax the captain into telling him who it was, but Koutarou remained stubborn as ever. 

A year later, they were still together. Koutarou had graduated from Fukurodani and was studying at X university since he got scouted by them for his volleyball skills. Keiji was studying harder than ever, he wanted to set to his boyfriend again, even if he wasn’t in the school team. He wasn’t the most outstanding or amazing setter - he wasn’t the brains of the team like Kenma was, he couldn’t pinpoint like Kageyama, and there were just so many other more amazing setters out there that he couldn’t possibly compete with all of them. 

So even if he wasn’t scouted for his setting, he wanted to get in based on his academics. Koutarou had moved out of his parent’s house and got a flat near his uni and Keiji found himself spending more time there than at home. They often joked that he should just live there already, but he didn’t feel like leaving his high school life behind that quickly, at least not for now. 

So when the time came for his own soulmate to be revealed, he almost forgot about the whole thing, even going to bed early. Koutarou didn’t forget and stayed awake until the clock read 11.59, before prodding the sleeping male. “Don’t you wanna know who’s your own soulmate, at least?” He asked. “No, since we’re going to be together anyway,” he mumbled softly, tucking his head into the crook of Bokuto’s neck. “You see who it is.” he raised his arm, so when the clock struck twelve, Koutarou saw his own name displayed on the milky white skin. 

He left out a soft hum of acknowledgement, slightly surprised at the turn of events. It wasn’t that uncommon for someone to have a soulmate that was someone else’s fated one, but it had never happened to someone he knew, at least. “Who is it?” Keiji rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to stare up at the wing spiker. “I-It’s me.” He felt his eyes widen by a fraction and stared down at his own arm. 

“So you-” He grabbed Koutarou’s arm and stared down at the name printed in a small, bold font. 

‘Kuroo tetsurou’ 

He felt sick to his stomach and pulled away from the warmth of Bokuto completely. There were no words exchanged as Koutarou watched Keiji’s face transform from an expression of astonishment, then horror, and then a calmness he had never seen before settled in those emerald green orbs. “Keij-” The male cut off his words with a wave of his hand, a small laugh slipping past those lips. 

“I’m sorry, but I need some time to process all of this.” He apologised formally, then left Bokuto there all alone. He didn’t come back the next day. Or the next. And that was how he eventually stopped hoping that the love of his life would show up at his door. 


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Bokuto and Keiji sort out their feelings

It took exactly one week before Bokuto finally gathered enough courage to text Keiji. He spent all 7 days the same way - he woke up, before heading to the cafe near their collage to whine about his problems to Oikawa, who was working there. If Iwaizumi was there, Bokuto would just slink away, pouting in one corner until Kuroo or Konoha picks him up and physically drags him to lectures. The first few days, he couldn’t keep his eyes off his phone, desperately hoping that Akaashi would have called or at least texted him - but all he got was a blank screen. 

Since Koutarou had enough of waiting for Keiji to make the first move, he took it upon himself to send a text to his (hopefully not ex) boyfriend. 

_ From: Koutarou  _

_ To: Keiji _

**[17:56] Keiji?**

_ From: Keiji  _

_ To: Koutarou _

**[18:00] Yes?**

_ From: Koutarou  _

_ To: Keiji _

**[18:01] you actually replied! Thank god.**

**[18:02] I wanted to ask if you were free this weekend?**

_ From: Keiji  _

_ To: Koutarou _

**[18:03] Yeah, why?**

_ From: Koutarou  _

_ To: Keiji _

**[18:05] I miss my boyfriend : <**

_ From: Keiji  _

_ To: Koutarou _

**[18:10] … I have tests next week, Koutarou.**

_ From: Koutarou  _

_ To: Keiji _

**[18:11] After your tests then! I’ll treat you.**

_ From: Keiji  _

_ To: Koutarou _

**[18:15] Okay.**

_ From: Koutarou  _

_ To: Keiji _

**[18:16] YAYYYY Thank you, I love youuu I promise I’ll explain everything!!**

_ From: Keiji  _

_ To: Koutarou _

**[18.20] okay. I love you too.**

Koutarou was excited about the prospect of finally seeing Keiji again. He wanted to explain himself, properly, this time. And He said he loved him too, that was a good sign, right? So when he walked into the coffee shop, his hair still wet from the shower he took before heading there right after practice, he was practically beaming with happiness. 

“Finally stopped moping around, Bokuto?” Oikawa asked from the counter, sending the spiker a smile as the latter strolled in. “Keiji’s coming to meet me here today! I want a caramel macchiato and a café mocha… and maybe a slice of cake? He will like that, right?” The former setter laughed at Bokuto’s enthusiasm. “Yes, I do think it would be a nice touch if you bought a slice of cake.” Koutarou’s grin only grew wider - if that was even possible - as he thanked Oikawa and brought the drinks and cake back to the table. Keiji showed up 10 minutes early and was surprised to see Koutarou already seated, with their drinks in front of him. 

He slid into the seat opposite Koutarou, muttering a soft greeting. He eyed the cake that was being pushed towards him, almost like a peace offering for keeping the secret about the whole soulmate thing for a whole year. “Keiji, I’m really sorry for not telling you earlier. I just didn’t want to make you feel like you had to compete with anyone else for me because really, really, I only had eyes for you from the start. I know Kuroo’s my best bro and we really do stupid shit together but you’re always there to rein me in and when you left my apartment that day without a text or a call for the next week I felt like I had lost you and-” Bokuto paused to suck in a deep breath, along with a long sip of his coffee before continuing. 

“And I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you, I really couldn’t. I understand that you’re mad at me, you have every right to, but I just couldn’t deal with losing you and I thought it would be better if you didn’t know who it was so you wouldn’t worry about it yourself and feel insecure when me and Kuroo are out doing god knows what.” 

Keiji was listening to Koutarou ramble on and on, occasionally taking small sips from his own drink and playing with the whipped cream on top of the cake that was in front of him. “I wasn’t mad, I just needed some time to process everything.” he clarified once Koutarou had stopped talking. He smiled a little at the elder’s last sentence. After all, how could he be mad at him? All he was trying to do was be considerate of his feelings - he was a habitual worrier after all. Except, he would have loved it if his boyfriend had actually discussed things like this with him instead of keeping it to himself. After all, relationships are based on trust and how could he trust Bokuto if he didn't even know his soulmate? 

“I-I’m really sorry I made you worry more, Keiji… I was just trying to be responsible for once and consider your feelings but it looks like I messed up again.” he sounded absolutely miserable, eyes akin to a puppy being scolded. Keiji felt his heart melt. “So please don’t break up with me!” Bokuto wailed, drawing attention from the other customers in the café. “Break up with you?! No, no… that was never what I intended to do…” Akaashi sighed, reaching across the table to take Bokuto’s hands in his. 

“I love you, Bokuto Koutarou. Be damned with all this soulmate shit because your name is written on my arm and I don’t care if mine isn’t on yours, I love you and I will fight for you even if it means killing Kuroo. Not literally, of course.” He added the last part after a pause. Koutarou giggled, then leaned over to give Keiji a sweet kiss, and he felt that finally, finally, everything was alright. 

Except it wouldn’t be, a nagging voice in his head piped up.  _ It wouldn’t be because for some goddamn reason the universe just had to make Kuroo fucking Tetsurou move in with his soulmate.  _


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keiji stays over and...

“What?” Keiji exclaimed, then clapped both his hands over his mouth, embarrassed at the attention he drew to the both of them. “Yeah, Kuroo is moving in with me, but really, you don’t have to worry because you practically live there and Kuroo, he knows, he knows that I love you.” He tried to explain himself. Keiji was fuming, but he tried not to let it show, instead choosing to take in a deep breath to try and calm himself down. 

“And why, again, does he  _ oh so desperately  _ need to move in with you in the middle of the term?” Akaashi hissed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “He got kicked out of his previous flat because the landlord was raising the rent every month and he couldn’t afford it! Keijiiiiii, Tetsu is also my bro, so I really can’t reject him when he has no one else to turn to!” 

“He can go to Kozume-san, then! Why did he look for you?” 

“Kenma lives too far from our college, you know that, Keiji. Come on, you can just move in too, then. That way you will feel assured that he won’t be making moves on me.” 

“Oh, so you’re admitting that he  _ will  _ make moves on you, then?” Koutarou’s eyes widened at the implication of his sentence. “N-Nooooooo, like I said Kuroo knows you are my boyfriend, he knows that I’m off-limits.” Keiji remained silent as he stared at the flowers behind Bokuto. 

_ But does he know that he is  _ **_your_ ** _ soulmate?  _ He sighed, covering his face with his hand as he tried to process everything. “Fine, not that I can do anything about it.” He could only agree. What else could he do? He was just a defect anyway - destined not to find a soulmate for the rest of his life. After finding out the whole soulmate name thing, he did some research himself. There were others like him, out there. Of course, though rare, they did exist. People who were abandoned - unwanted goods - because their soulmate had another person’s name on their arm. 

Though they didn’t manage to find a partner, some of them do end up with a happy ending. Namely, those that didn’t give a flying fuck about the soulmate nonsense and wanted to stick with their partner, even if they weren’t soulmates. He thought he would be one of those exceptions, that was until he entered Koutarou’s flat one day and found his boyfriend -  _ soulmate _ \- cuddled up against  **_his_ ** soulmate. 

“Akaashi, it’s been a while since you visited. Why don’t you come and join us?” Kuroo greeted him normally, while Bokuto lunged towards Keiji without hesitation, engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug, “I-I have school tomorrow, and I don’t feel like imposing on both of you. Please, don’t let me interrupt you.” Keiji replied cordially - or as nicely as he could with Koutarou clinging onto him like a goddamn koala. 

Kuroo laughed, like a hyena, Keiji noted and gestured towards the male who was currently resting his head on Keiji’s shoulder. “I bet all the money in my wallet that Mr can’t keep his hands to himself wants you to stay the night, too.” Kuroo’s sentence was met with an affirmative sound. Keiji sighed, knowing he couldn’t say no. What he really wasn’t expecting was to fall asleep, tucked snugly between Kuroo and Bokuto’s body, on the couch. 

Morning came faster than he liked, and Keiji untangled himself from the mess of limbs on the couch. Kuroo’s left hand was right on top of his chest, and he felt his breath quicken. After all, he never asked if Kuroo’s soulmate was really Bokuto, he just assumed. The setter carefully flipped the male’s hand over and glanced down at the neat font printed on the muscular arm. 

“What… the hell?” He exhaled, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.  _ What the hell was going on?  _


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "the talk"

‘Akaashi keiji’ 

‘Bokuto Koutarou’ 

Keiji gasped softly, letting go of Kuroo’s arm and causing the lanky male to stir. “Kaashi?” Bokuto mumbled, pulling his thin frame closer to himself. “B-Bokuto-san…” He pushed against bokuto’s strong grip but proved to be futile. “Stop wriggling about, Akaashi…” Kuroo grumbled, throwing his body around the duo and causing Keiji to flush red at the intimate contact, after what he just found out. 

“Let go, both of you… I have to get to school today.” With much difficulty, he managed to get out of the tangled mess of limbs and got dressed quickly, heart pounding. It was hard for his brain to process that the three if them were soulmates, was that even possible? A quick glance at the clock told him that it was already 9am - he had already missed his first period. Deciding to ditch school altogether, he looked for the only person that he knew he could count on to help him figure out what the hell was happening - Konoha.

“Having two soulmates?” Konoha repeated, sipping his tea while he contemplated whatever Keiji just said. “Well, it’s not common, that's for sure. That’s not to say I have not met any though, after studying numerous cases of soulmates I have seen and even met a few.” The setter leaned forward in his seat, now interested in what Konoha had to offer. 

Konoha had a special interest in soulmates ever since he was in Fukurodani, and was one of the few who signed their lives away to the government once he graduated, dedicating a good part of his life to researching about soulmate pairings and how the whole thing worked. “Usually they start out as strangers, so it’s easier to see and consider a relationship with the three of them.” Konoha mused, approaching the subject carefully. After all, everyone knew how much Akaashi actually depended on Bokuto, even if he didn’t let it show. 

“Maybe you should have a talk with them, the both of them. Together. Let them know your feelings about it, honestly. Besides, trust Kuroo a little more. He’s known that the both of you were his soulmates for more than a year now, and he hasn’t done anything, has he?” With that, Akaashi was left alone, with his own thoughts regarding the strange situation that he now found himself in. 

Kuroo wasn’t a bad guy, in fact he would be a great soulmate. But unlike Bokuto, Kuroo wasn’t as attuned to Akaashi, Kuroo was also smarter - making him tougher to control and predict. Akaashi didn’t like that. He had a sly aura surrounding him, which initially kept Akaashi on guard when he first knew the captain. Yet, after seeing how he took care of Kenma, he could be sure that Kuroo would be an excellent soulmate. 

What irked him was the closeness between the two. Bokuto and Kuroo hit it off immediately after they met, and they seemed to be insanely close. Besides that, there was also the fact that Kuroo was Bokuto’s age, that one year that seemed so close yet so far for Akaashi isn’t a problem for him. Resting his head in his palms, the setter took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, before trudging home, deciding that he’s had enough interaction with anyone for the rest of the week. 

The next time he met up with both Bokuto and Kuroo was a whole fortnight later. School and volleyball became his only escape, since he couldn’t bring himself to face the two of them together so soon. Once he stepped into the apartment, the wing spiker immediately launched himself at Akaashi, whining that he missed him and Akaashi was cruel for not coming to visit for so long. He had a strange sense of deja vu when he saw Kuroo curled up on the couch comfortably, offering him a seat. 

Fifteen minutes later, he was seated on the couch, a steaming mug of tea in front of him and Bokuto nestled by his side, yet he still felt nervous. Even Bokuto had picked on his unease, trying to soothe him by being extra needy and cuddly. “I actually came here today to speak about what I saw the other day I slept over.” Akaashi started, staring straight at Kuroo. The latter had stiffened, but the movement was so miniscule, Bokuto remained none the wiser. “What is it, ‘kaashi?” Bokuto prompted, curious. 

“Why don’t you answer that question, Kuroo-san?” 

“Huh? What does Tetsu have to do with this?” Now both pairs of eyes were fixated on Kuroo, and he seemed visibly more nervous. He let out a forced chuckle, glancing down at his own mug of coffee as a form of distraction. 

“You must have seen my soulmate mark, then. Or marks, to be more specific.” Kuroo mused softly, a resigned sigh slipping past his lips. “Guess I can’t hide it any longer, huh?” He flipped it over, so it was clear as day what was written there on his left forearm. 

A loud gasp escaped Bokuto, but Akaashi continued to keep an eye on Kuroo. “Why did I not know this, I thought we were best bros, Tetsu! Wasn’t your soulmate Kenma?” A flurry of questions escaped from Bokuto, unable to contain his astonishment. “I never confirmed that fact-” Kuroo tried to defend himself, raising both his hands in mock surrender. “Besides, we never had a serious talk about soulmates before, did we? Everyone around you knows that you were meant for each other, I couldn’t possibly break that apart.” He continued, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes. 

“Still, you should have said something.” Bokuto rebutted, seemingly mad that Kuroo had kept this fact from him for a year.

“What could I say, Bokuto? What did you want me to do? Go up to you and say ‘oh by the way, both of you are my soulmates, why don’t we try a threesome’? Is that what you wanted me to do?” Kuroo’s voice got sharper and towards the end, indicating his distress. Not knowing how to respond to that outburst, silence descended upon the trio. Eventually, Kuroo finished off his coffee in two big gulps and stood up, clearing the mugs from the table. 

He paused for a second, before standing up. “I never thought of doing anything to interfere with your relationship, that’s the reason why I never said anything about being soulmates. My only reason for moving in was purely because I had nowhere else to go, so there were no ulterior motives there. As for the whole situation… I’ve ignored it for a year now, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.” 


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuaka tries to convince Kuroo

“Bokuto-san.” Akaashi spoke up once Kuroo had left. “I want you to listen to me, and promise me that you won’t freak out.” The wing spiker opened his mouth to respond, but closed it upon seeing the serious expression on Akaashi’s face. He nodded in agreement to the condition, promising not to make a fuss, no matter what he said. “Why don’t we give Kuroo-san a chance?” 

Bokuto’s eyes widened, protests already on the tip of his tongue. He loved Keiji his entire life, he couldn’t imagine having enough space in his heart to love another - though he did love Kuroo, just not in that way. Not in the way that his precious Keiji was asking him to. “But, why?” He spoke softly, not wanting Kuroo to be able to hear their discussion from the kitchen. “There isn’t really a reason, but this is really unfair on him, no? If we don’t give it a shot, who knows if we would work out?” 

“You’re just saying that, but you don’t really mean that, do you?” Bokuto’s voice softened, as he properly looked at Akaashi for the first time since he stepped into the apartment. “You grew thinner too…” he mused, pulling Akaashi closer to his chest, rubbing his back comfortingly. “If trying out a relationship with Tetsu is really what you want, then we should give it a shot. But what is most important to me is  _ you,  _ Keiji. So if you feel uncomfortable with anything, please, don’t keep it to yourself.” Akaashi barely held back tears when he heard what Bokuto said. “Mm.” He agreed, the sound muffled by the fabric. 

They both had things to do, responsibilities to be carried out, but for that second, Akaashi let himself relax in Bokuto’s arms, telling himself that this was the right thing to do and at the end of the day, they would be okay. 

-

  
  


“No.” 

Kuroo immediately responded once he heard what the duo were proposing, ready to get out and leave the conversation. Bokuto and Akaashi had invited Kuroo out for dinner at a small restaurant, in hopes of asking him out. “You’re kidding, right? Please say you’re kidding.” Kuroo continued, looking more distressed than Bokuto when he first heard what Akaashi was proposing. 

“But we are soulmates, Kuroo-san.” 

“So what if we are? Did both of you believe in soulmates before this? Did you really?” There was an edge to his words now, and Akaashi played with his fingers under the table, feeling like Kuroo could see through all his insecurities back when he first found out that Bokuto was Kuroo’s soulmate. 

“It never mattered to the both of you up till now, so why bother trying? Forget it, I’ll grab dinner somewhere else.” Kuroo placed some notes down on the table for his meal and was about to leave, when Bokuto reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly. 

The middle blocker gave Bokuto a pleading glance, knowing that he was just playing along for the sake of Akaashi. He was more perceptive than anyone realised. “At least stay for dinner, listen to what we have to say, Tetsu. Don’t just assume that we’re doing this because we pity you.” Kuroo gritted his teeth, but sat back down, still not touching his plate. 

“We just thought it would be good to at least give it a shot, do you want to live your life like this forever?” Akaashi continued, picking at his own food. Kuroo remained silent, staring at the table like it was the most interesting thing on earth. “You don’t have to give us an answer immediately, we aren’t forcing you into anything either.” Bokuto added, pushing Kuroo’s food a little closer, like an invitation to eat. 

A small sigh escaped his lips, and he started to dig into his food, mulling over the suggestion that the duo had thrown out at him. “Fine.” He agreed quietly when they were done, surprising both of them. “There’s no harm trying, right?” He lifted his gaze to look at them, seemingly vulnerable despite being the tallest one there at the table. It was then that an overwhelming urge to protect the man washed upon Bokuto and he immediately swept Kuroo into a bone crushing hug, showering him with reassurances. 

Akaashi had a soft smile on his face, setting his glass down and joining the hug, hoping that this would actually turn out okay, for once. 


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happily ever after

Akaashi and Bokuto were seated at their cafe, Oikawa watching them worriedly from the counter. It had been a while since they visited, after all. The brunette was worried if something was wrong with their relationship. Well, he wasn’t wrong. Something  _ was _ wrong, just not with the both of them. “So, Kuroo’s refusing to go on any dates with us.” Bokuto frowned into his cup, stirring it listlessly. “He says it’s because Keiji’s exams are coming up soon.” 

“How does he know my schedule?” he was surprised, not expecting this piece of information. Bokuto gave Akaashi a small smile. “He cares about you too, you know?” Bokuto said softly. “He asked me for your schedule on the day we asked him to date us. He didn’t want to impose on your studies and made sure that you would be able to enter our college. Then you can live with us.” Akaashi felt his heart swell slightly at the kindness that Kuroo was showing him, even though all he did was act hostile and avoid him after realising that he was Bokuto’s soulmate.

“What should we do, then? Do you think he’s using my exams as an excuse?” Akaashi murmured, lifting his gaze to meet Bokuto’s. “I am not sure… but we can ask him out for a study date! That would work, right? Since you will be studying for your exams anyway, he can’t exactly say no.” Akaashi hummed, taking a small sip out of his coffee. “I have my study materials with me since I came from school, think he’s free now?” Bokuto nodded. He clearly remembered Kuroo telling him to ‘have a nice time with Akaashi’ since he chose to stay at home and watch a movie. 

Bokuto had tried to get Kuroo to tag along, but the middle blocker refused, saying that he really shouldn’t be imposing on their time together. He didn’t want to be a burden to their relationship, he says. “But you’re part of the relationship too, Tetsu!” Bokuto had whined, but no matter what he said Kuroo didn’t seem to budge. Eventually Bokuto gave up and just headed for their coffee date alone. 

After three rings, Kuroo picked up, voice laden with sleep. “Hm? Bokuto? Is something wrong?” 

“No, Akaashi needs some help in his chemistry and biology, and those happen to be your best subjects, right? Think you could come out and meet us at Oikawa’s cafe?” There was silence on the other end of the line, and Bokuto almost thought Kuroo had hung up on him when he heard a small, barely audible sigh. 

“You win, Bokuto. I’ll just dress up and head there with some notes.” Bokuto’s eyes widened, a huge smile spreading across his face. “Really?! Yay!” He sounded like an excited kid, and the raised volume garnered some stares from some onlookers, but Akaashi barely minded. That response only meant one thing - that Kuroo had  _ finally  _ agreed to a study date. 

And while a study date wasn’t as good as an actual date, he would take it. 

-

A few minutes later, Kuroo joined the duo, a large cup of steaming hot coffee in his hands. “I thought you guys were on a date, not a study session. Since when do you study together with this huge idiot here, anyways?” Bokuto made an indigent sound at Kuroo’s remark. 

“Rude, I study too, you know? How else do you think I passed the national exam?” Bokuto huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. Choosing to ignore Bokuto, Kuroo leaned forward to examine the questions that Akaashi had, biting his bottom lip in concentration. 

“Well, it doesn’t seem like there is much problem in your understanding with the concepts, but you’re struggling in application, right? That isn’t too hard to solve, so you just have to…” Bokuto zoned out when Kuroo started to explain to Keiji about his work, taking a few sips out of his own mug as he observed the pair. Kuroo had scooted closer to the third year, in order to point out his mistakes and help him correct them. The pair looked so adorable, Bokuto couldn’t resist pulling his phone out and secretly taking a photo, setting it as his lockscreens. 

_ I must be so lucky.  _ Bokuto grinned, leaning back in his chair.  _ To have two wonderful and beautiful soulmates.  _ Before they knew it, Oikawa was chasing them out of his cafe, saying things like ‘I appreciate your patronage but I  _ really  _ need to go back to Iwaizumi tonight, so could you  _ please  _ take your studying to the dorms?’, and that was how the three of them found themselves back in Bokuto and Kuroo’s dorm room. 

Keiji had seated himself between the two of them, choosing to rest his head on Kuroo’s shoulder. The latter had let out a surprised squeak when he felt a sudden weight on his right shoulder, but relaxed slightly when he saw Keiji’s contented smile. There was a movie playing, a random one that Bokuto had suggested to put on to end the day. “Before we all end up falling asleep on the couch like before,” Keiji spoke up suddenly, startling the two collage students on either side of him. “I think we need to sort things out, if we really want to give this thing a shot.” he continued, straightening so he could turn to look at both of them. 

“Right, I agree!” Koutarou quickly jumped onto the idea, already knowing where Keiji was going with this. The both of them had done some research regarding polygamy relationship before proposing the idea to kuroo. When Kuroo actually agreed, they took it upon themselves to dive deeper into how to handle the new addition to their relationship after, as well as how to make Kuroo feel as included as he could. One of the first things was setting rules, after getting to know everyone’s feelings towards the relationship so that they don’t accidentally overstep boundaries. 

Kuroo leant back, a slightly amused smile on his face as he looked at how serious Bokuto looked regarding the whole situation. Besides volleyball, there wasn’t any other occasion where he saw this side of Bokuto. Akaashi too, he never had a chance to get to know the setter better, only knowing what was relayed to him from his best friend - boyfriend now. Despite his limited knowledge of Akaashi, and his (unfortunately) extensive knowledge of Bokuto, he still found himself deeply in love with the both of them, in different ways. Never in a million years did he expect them to be soulmates, and it never even occurred to him that they would even propose a relationship with him. 

Guilt was the first thing that came crashing down on Kuroo when he saw how he was manipulating the relationship without even actively trying, which was why he had immediately rejected the offer. Yet they wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and his heart spoke for himself when he finally agreed. A part of him was still holding his real desires back, for fear that he would do something wrong, or that one day Akaashi or Bokuto would decide that they were done with trying to accommodate him. If (when) that day comes, he couldn’t do anything but let them go - so he thought distancing himself would have been the best options. To avoid himself from being too heartbroken if (when) they finally got tired of him. 

“Keiji’s exams are coming, so you keep refusing to meet up with us and we think that you’re using it as an excuse. So! First rule is to be truthful and honest; if you feel uncomfortable, which is totally normal, then voice it out, Tetsu. Don’t be afraid to let us know how you’re thinking. You’re part of this relationship now, so don’t distance yourself from us. We want to genuinely give this a try, you know?” Kuroo felt his eyes well up with tears when he heard what Bokuto said, choosing to duck his head and cover his face with his hands instead. 

“Oh no! Don’t cry, Tetsu! Ahhhh I always say the wrong thing… help, Keiji !” Bokuto freaked out, and even Akaashi seemed slightly concerned at Kuroo’s reaction. A reassuring hand was placed on his shoulder, and a dip to the left side of the couch indicated a shift in position of one of his partners. Suddenly, he was enveloped in a warm hug. Akaashi’s hand was now rubbing his back gently, and Bokuto’s arms were tightly around his waist. It was an awkward position, his face was partially pressed into Bokuto’s abs, and partially resting on Akaashi’s shoulder, but it felt so much like  _ home,  _ that he didn’t want to move for a good minute. 

After composing himself, he pulled away from the weird embrace to face two concerned faces. “Are you okay now, Kuroo-san?” 

“If we’re really doing this relationship thing, then drop the -san thing already, Akaashi.” Kuroo smiled slightly, wiping the remaining tears on his face. 

“Right? I told you it took him two years before he stopped calling me ‘bokuto-san’, and sometimes he even slips back to the formal address. I don’t understand why you’re so uptight in a relationship, Keiji.” Bokuto chipped in, shaking his head in mock disapproval. 

“Are you feeling better, Kuroo? Or would you rather I call you Tetsurou? You can call me Keiji.” Akaashi blatantly ignored both of their comments, choosing to repeat his question instead. 

“Yeah, I do feel better. I wasn’t feeling lousy to begin with, it was just seeing Boku - Koutarou being so serious about the whole thing, the both of you being so accommodating towards me… Yet all I have been doing is being selfish by distancing myself from the relationship because I just  _ know _ that we will not work out and having that mindset makes it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the joys of a poly relationship. So I think you’re right, Akaa- Keiji. I think we really need to have a good talk about this before we dive headfirst into it.”

“So why don’t we get into it?” 

-

Kuroo opened up about his thoughts regarding the situation, and Bokuto came clean with his own fears about trying out something new. Akaashi truthfully admitted his jealousy and apologised for how useless his feelings were in the situation. At the end of their session, they had worked through the whole ‘emotional’ aspect and were finally getting round to setting ground rules about their relationship. 

“Beside the whole voicing out thing… Let’s make it a point to do regular check-ins with each other, like this. We can talk about our feelings openly, and make adjustments to the relationship.” Keiji suggested. He was currently nestled in between Koutarou and Tetsruou and it was the most comfortable thing in the whole world. “Mm…” Kuroo agreed, stifling a yawn. His boyfriends chuckled, and bokuto got up to turn the lights out. “Guess it’s bedtime, we can continue the talk tomorrow, or whenever we want to.” He whispered, giving the both of them kisses on the forehead before getting comfortable under the blanket.

“Night~” Kuroo said softly, and Akaashi echoed it. 

“I must be so lucky.” Koutarou mumbled, right before they all slipped into dreamland, and that night, they all fell asleep with silly grins on their faces. 

-

Getting used to their new relationship wasn’t easy - the looks on some of their mutual friends' faces hurt Kuroo more than he would like to admit. But it was also satisfying, to be able to openly display his affection - and receive affection - from the two people that he had always considered out of bounds for years. It took a little adjusting, they still had fights from time to time, and since Kuroo and Akaashi were the more insecure ones in the relationship, Koutarou often found himself switching in between the two of them, taking on the new role as a mediator. 

Still, despite the many disagreements that they have had ever since they started, they were always able to work it out in the end, together. 

-

“You should know his size by now, you’ve been in a relationship with him longer than I have!” Kuroo hissed, nudging Bokuto slightly. 

“I never thought we would be doing this!” Koutarou countered, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned closer to the display of rings. 

“Hi, do you need help? Are you picking up a ring for your fiance, perhaps?” The lady at the counter noticed them and was now approaching the duo. Kuroo rolled his eyes and dragged Bokuto away before she could ask them any further questions. 

“We were just admiring the beautiful display, thank you so much!” He gave her a strained smile before successfully managing to pull Bokuto out of the shop. 

He huffed, letting go of his boyfriend once they were a safe distance away. “I thought that you knew his size and was calling me down to confirm mine, but you just wanted to buy them without even considering the size? Is this your first time proposing to someone?” 

“Of course it’s my first time proposing to someone, who else did I have to propose to before I met the both of you! How was I supposed to know rings have sizes?” Koutarou was full-on pouting now. Kuroo rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. 

“We have different sized fingers, see?” He took Bokuto’s hand in his, showing him the difference in the size of their ring finger. 

“So tonight, I’ll find a way to find out the average size of Keiji’s finger, while you distract him. Then we will come back tomorrow and get the ring, okay? Don’t pout now babe, you know I wasn’t really angry at you.” Koutarou was so easy to read - so it didn’t take much before the pair were laughing and joking around as they headed back to their shared apartment. 

That night, the three of them were curled up on the couch, talking softly as a tv show was on. Tetsurou took this chance to take Keiji’s hand in his, pretending to admire them. 

“You have such beautiful slender fingers, Keiji~” Bokuto gushed from beside him, trying to bring Keiji’s attention to him. “I remember when you used to set to me using those fingers, they were like magic.”  _ That _ got Keiji’s attention, as he started to go on and on about how difficult it was to handle Bokuto back in high school. They all got a few laughs as Keiji and Tetsurou exchanged ridiculous stories about Koutarou’s mood swings, while the latter could only sit there and let himself be laughed at with a small frown on his face. That gave the cunning cat enough time to slip a rope over Keiji’s ring finger and make his necessary measurements, sneaky and quick enough that Keiji didn’t even know what was happening before it was over. 

The next day, they purchased the rings and left the shop with smiles on their faces, wondering what Keiji’s reaction would be. That night, they tried their best to set up a romantic candlelight dinner, though Bokuto almost burned their apartment down two times, and Tetsurou eventually gave up, giving him the task of preparing the dining table instead. When Keiji arrived, he noticed how fidgety and antsy his two boyfriends were, but brushed it aside as he dug into the food that Kuroo had prepared. When he was about done with his food, the both of them got up, startling him a little. 

“So, we’re gonna do a little roleplay here, okay? Just pretend you’re at a fancy restaurant, Keiji. We know you wouldn’t like that, so we’re doing it in the safety of our apartment. I’m the host,” Kuroo cleared his throat, and, in a low, deep voice, did his best impression of a host on a tv show. 

“Here tonight, for our last performer, we have Bokuto Koutarou! Who will perform a cover of ‘Perfect’, by Ed Sheeran~” Keiji was stunned, he placed his utensils down and watched as Koutarou stood up, and Kuroo quickly grabbed a guitar from the couch - when did that get there? 

As Kuroo strummed the first chord, it was like they got transported into another universe - it was magical. When Bokuto ended the song, Keiji had tears in his eyes, and he clapped his hands weakly, unsure if there were any more surprises to come. Then, Bokuto got down on his knees and he felt his heart stop.  _ No way. When…?  _

“When I saw you the first time you pushed the gym doors open, I knew that you were going to be someone special to me. You had faith in me all throughout my high school life - even when I was in one of my moods you knew just how to lift me right up. When we started dating, I never thought of spending my life with anyone else, besides Kuroo, of course. So, I’m not very good with words, but you’re my star, Keiji. Both you and Tetsurou are my stars. Please, make me the happiest man on earth by being mine?” 

Tetsurou set the guitar down, clearing his throat as he got ready to make his speech. “Well, we both know Koutarou isn’t the best at words. But I’ll keep mine short as well. At first, you were just Bokuto’s boyfriend, Bokuto’s setter. I’ll admit you were (and still are) the most beautiful man I ever met, though. I was drawn to you from the start, from the minimal conversations we had at training camps. I mainly heard of you through Bokuto. But when you first came over to our apartment, so wary and just… just so vulnerable, like I would tear your happiness apart, I wanted to do nothing but to protect you. Now I know you’re one of the strongest people I know, and I really want to continue to make you happy. So, accept our proposal, Keiji. Please?” 

Keiji had tears flowing freely down his face now, and all he could manage was a small nod in response. “I-You guys are so unfair, you can’t just do this to me, you  _ can’t. _ ” Keiji choked out, as he felt two pair of arms engulf him in a huge hug. Kuroo wiped his tears away gently, as Bokuto took his hand and slid a beautiful ring onto his fourth finger. 

“And now you’re ours, forever~” Koutarou cheered, giving him a kiss on the cheek, then turning to Kuroo. 

“... Hey, let’s let Keiji put our rings on for us!” Kuroo suggested, presenting two other velvet boxes and handing them over. Keiji smiled through the tears, sliding it on Koutarou’s ring finger first before Tetsurou, and giving them a long, sweet kiss each after. 

“I love both of you so much, so so so much-” Keiji said before dissolving into tears again.

“Alright, alright, stop crying so much Keiji, you’re going to shrivel up!” Koutarou exclaimed, sounding borderline worried which cracked the three of them up. 

_ Perhaps, the road here wasn’t easy. There will be disagreements to come, but I’m sure we will be able work through them  _ **_together_ ** _. Aren’t we lucky? We don’t just get to love and receive love from one person, we get double the amount. So I’m going to stay strong, and even though I know people will give us weird looks, I’ll remind myself how lucky I am. After all, I have all I ever wanted and needed by my side. And I won’t let it get my mood down, because…  _

_ Because I have my soulmates.  _


End file.
